R | 1h 54min | Drama, Comedy, Satire, Biography | 13 July 2018 (USA)
Based in part on the memoir of the same name by John Callahan, writer and director Gus Van Sant’s sometimes overstylized “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” (“On Foot”) hits a few narrative bumps on its way to a triumphant third act, making this the filmmaker’s finest effort since “Good Will Hunting” in 1997.
John Callahan (Joaquin Phoenix) deals with a physical disability, in “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot.” (Amazon Studios)
A native of Portland, Oregon, the single-panel cartoonist John Callahan (Joaquin Phoenix) found his calling late in life and only after becoming a quadriplegic and recovering alcoholic. With two hands clutching a Flair pen, Callahan drew primitive panels that were decidedly conceived and executed in purposefully bad taste. By comparison, Callahan’s barbed black humor made Gary Larson’s “Far Side” come off looking as tame and safe as Bil Keane’s “Family Circus.”…